Korero
Korero is the Toa Maru of Air, once a Ko-Matoran historian and archaeologist. Biography At a fairly early age, the Ko-Matoran Korero was sent to the Sanctum to become a Scribe; while his teachers were impressed by his thirst for knowledge, his interest in the past rather than the future met with their disapproval. As time went by, the Sanctum's scholars grew more and more annoyed with this Matoran who adamantly (and apparently obliviously) refused to follow tradition; daydreaming and poring over history books when he was supposed to be deciphering prophecies. Eventually, the scholars petitioned Nuju to send him to Ta-Koro, where he could study the famed Wall of History to his heart's content; but this was more to get rid of him than anything else. Nuju obliged; he recognised that Korero had an adventurous spirit that was not meant to be confined to the snooty ranks of Ko-Matoran scholarhood. In Ta-Koro, Korero would spend all day working at the Wall; he was given the job of keeping it clean and maintained, but he spent most of his time reading the inscriptions there, sometimes copying them onto what scraps of cloth and paper he could find. Eventually, he saved up enough money to buy what soon became his most treasured possession: a leather-bound notebook, made from real paper, with a small clip on the spine to hold a stick of charcoal. One day, when Korero had read every single inscription on the Wall over and over, he suddenly had an odd feeling, like a calling from within; a calling to go out and explore, to find new history as it was created. That day, he quit his job, gathered his things into a satchel, and wandered out into the world. Korero has since explored many places on Mata Nui, searching for artefacts and relics of bygone days, be they ruined temples, hidden carvings, or ancient writings. He records his findings in his notebook, and has become pretty good at drawing sketches of them as well. So far, however, he hasn't managed to record any new history for himself; somehow he's always missed the great events of the island (such as the kidnapping of the Turaga), only to read about them in the Mata-Nui Daily afterwards. Everything changed when he met Stannis and Oreius, two Chosen Matoran who were on the run from powerful agents of Makuta. He tagged along with them, healing Oreius with an Amana Volo sphere when the Ta-Matoran was injured in a duel with Vidar, and was eventually accepted by Stannis as a companion to the Wanderer's Company and their chronicler. Destiny took a strange turn, however, when they met with the other Chosen: Lewa's Essence Stone rejected Lepidran, its expected bearer, and instead chose Korero. Half-shocked, half-elated, he joined his fellow Chosen at the Suva Nui and was transformed. Having defeated a squad of Rahkshi with their newfound powers, the Maru travelled to Kini-Nui. Joske Nimil helped them enter the Keeping Place, where Korero received his new mask: the Kanohi Hiko, one of a kind. With their new masks claimed and new kinship forged, they descended into Mangaia to confront Makuta. First they were faced with the Manas, which were dispatched quickly (though Korero became emotional when he realised that the creatures had fought them against their will) and they proceeded to the next chamber. The foe they found within was far more chilling: what had once been the First Toa, transformed into Toa of Shadow just like Heuani. Korero found himself in combat with the being who had once been Pohatu: Vassus. Korero eventually defeated him after a Hiko/ShadowJump duel, and Vassus accidentally killed himself in a last-ditch attempt to fell the Toa Maru of Air. Once the last of the First Toa had fallen, they moved into the final room to face Makuta himself. Dealing with an attack on two fronts (both a physical one of lashing tentacles, and a mental temptation - in Korero's case, being offered omniscience), they combined their powers to weaken Makuta and Stannis dealt the finishing blow with his mask, trapping Makuta in a legend. With the deed done, Korero made his weary way to Le-Koro, where he gave the news to the people of the village. He and the other Maru were hailed as great heroes, and he was accepted as protector of Le-Koro. Appearance and Tools Matoran Korero was a small, white and grey Matoran with a Mask of Psychometry (Noble Huna-shaped). His eyes were yellow-gold. He was never seen without his satchel, in which he carried his worldly belongings, the most prized of which was his leather-bound notebook in which he chronicled his findings. Toa As a Toa, Korero is the slimmest of his Toa-brothers, lithe and built for speed and agility. His armour is the same mix of jungle greens that Lewa once sported, and is sleek and light. Behind his aerodynamic mask, his eyes are golden and often filled with excitement and curiosity. His fingers are long and clever, seemingly made more for artistry than combat - but don't let that fool you; his dextrousness with his chosen weaponry is not to be trifled with. Korero carries his Toa Tool, a pointed-oval shield of green and silver with a circle at its centre, on which is carved the symbol of Faith. He also possesses Lewa's legendary axe, which he retrieved from Mangaia. Abilities and Traits Korero, as a Toa Maru, possesses a level of elemental power above the average Toa, and he has natural and instinctive control over it. He has inherited Lewa's skill, meaning that he has a level of proficiency above that of the usual Toa of his inexperience. The Kanohi Hiko allows Korero to jump between real locations in a flash. The Hiko allows for unlimited distance between locales, since it is not based on direct sight, but rather on images. The user can simply look at a picture of a location, or recall a memory of a location, and instantly "jump" there. If the location is unknown, then the picture must be explicit for the Hiko to work, for there is no room for error; any confusion in the moment of the jump will have grave and potentially mortal consequences. The user can also transport up to twice his or her own body weight with the mask, meaning he/she can jump with up to two other people or equivalent equipment. The Hiko does not allow for transportation through time or new dimensions. Korero does not possess much strength, so he relies on his speed and agility (coupled with the use of his mask) in combat. As his Toa Tool is a shield, most of his attacks come in the form of kicks and punches, although he can use his shield's sharp edges as a weapon. Plus, the shield can be thrown similarly to a disk, spinning at the target then arcing back to clip onto Korero's forearm. His main weakness is his relative vulnerability to physical brute-strength attacks. The Toa Maru of Air is known for his inquisitive and optimistic character; this has changed little since his days as a Matoran, although he has lost his naivete and some of his innocence in fighting Makuta and the following months. He is kind-hearted, and somewhat idealistic. They main aspect of his character that has changed since his transformation is that he has become less timid and quiet and more open and effervescent in his interactions with other. He has sometimes had trouble quelling Lewa's sarcastic tongue, though... Relationships Friends and Allies *His fellow Toa Maru *Joske Nimil *Antrim *Turaga Nuju *Turaga Vakama *Merror Enemies *Makuta *Ronkshou *Vidar *Utu Quotes Trivia *Korero is one of few beings in the game to have had their element changed. *Korero has his own personal recipe of Trusty Sulov's Trusty Trailmix. *His name comes from the Maori verb 'korero', which means 'to tell'. Category:Characters Category:Toa Category:Toa Maru Category:Le-Toa Category:Lorebook